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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22620868">Be a Dear</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipcat/pseuds/shipcat'>shipcat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, First Dates, Romantic Fluff, Yoshino is tough and Shikaku is in love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:22:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22620868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipcat/pseuds/shipcat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Snapshot of a day in the life of Yoshino and Shikaku Nara, young and in love!</p><p>She only wants to eat, damnit!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nara Shikaku/Nara Yoshino</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Be a Dear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/loknnica/gifts">loknnica</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>A/N: </b>I know that Yoshino isn’t really depicted much in canon, so I took some creative liberties in her characterization. For more background on how I write her, <a href="https://thatshipcat.tumblr.com/post/189855583484/yoshino-nara">see this post</a> (-not required, just if you’re curious). </p><p>Otherwise, I hope you enjoy :3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Doe eyes peek up at Yoshino, pale eyelashes trembling, legs quaking, under the steep, green canopies of the Nara forest. If she reaches her hand out, Shikaku tells her, then the little thing might even let her touch it, may even let her scratch its ears or pat its back. <b><br/>
</b></p><p>For all the wildlife she’s seen in the Land of Fire, it is nothing compared to what she’s used to—giant bugs preyed upon by titan fish, glimmering just under the river surface, one scale nearly the size of a man; certainly nothing compared to the desert wyrms, which swim in sand and swallow caravans whole. Yet, somehow, Shikaku looks at her and this fawn with the same sort of softness that makes her sneer; the same sort of softness that she can’t—won’t—begin to define. </p><p>It’s just a deer. </p><p>A domesticated deer, sure, but a deer nonetheless.</p><p>Yoshino is completely unimpressed.</p><p>“Lord Nara, it’s our first…” she starts.</p><p>There’s a word for this, Yoshino knows. It’s not a date, not a tryst, but also not anything professional. Whatever. </p><p>She waves it off with a click of her tongue. “—you want me to kill my own dinner?” </p><p>“Ah—no.” Shikaku rubs the back of his neck. “That’s not quite…” </p><p> “Then what?” She pokes him in the chest. “I see. You’re going to kill it, the easy part, then leave me to flay, skin and roast it.” She pokes him again. You think I’m going to do all the work? Lazy.” Poke. “Disgraceful.” Poke. “Lords are supposed to treat ladies.” Poke poke poke. “Hmm?”</p><p>The deer nudges her leg.</p><p>…then again, it does look rather yummy…</p><p>She can see it now. Diced with herbs, carrots and potatoes, simmering in a beef broth for hours… served with fluffy bread, even. Rice. Soup.</p><p>Sensing the mortal danger, Shikaku sweeps the deer into his arms, throwing Yoshino a wary glare usually reserved for the Akimichi.</p><p>“She’s a pet,” he hisses.</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“Not for eating.”</p><p>“Don’t be so sensitive,” she reaches for the doe, huffing when Shikaku shirks away. “Come on! Are you even a man, hmm?”</p><p>Shikaku sidesteps another swipe, “I’m a different sort of man,” he drawls.</p><p>The deer licks his arm.</p><p>“I can see that.” Yoshino tsks, lunging. He dodges. “You’re just—a lame—excuse—for a—shinobi!” </p><p>If this were in the middle of Konoha, it’d be an odd sight: the unapproachable and (at times) abrasive Yoshino stalking after the Jonin Commander and the baying deer in his arms. But this is not in the middle of Konoha, but the Nara Forest. Sunspots flick down from above, across her button nose, scrunched with frustration; over the corner of his lips, quirked lazily—</p><p>—and then he’s tripping, crashing through the brush with a sharp shout that scatters birds from the trees. Her breath catches.</p><p>“Lord Nara?” she slows near the tree line. “Nara…?”</p><p>Silence reigns. Yoshino edges closer, hand on her kunai pouch. A gust of cold air rushes past her.</p><p>A twig cracks. </p><p>She shivers.</p><p>Freezes.</p><p>A tan blur bursts out of the woods, Yoshino ducking under, landing on a pile of wet grass. She twists around to face her attacker, foot slipping.</p><p>A fluffy white tail bounces away—the doe escaping.</p><p>She falls with a yelp, tumbling into the undergrowth.</p><p>Damn deer! Damn Shikaku! Damn, damn, damn—</p><p>“—damn them all!” Yoshino hisses, rolling onto all fours. </p><p>A chuckle sounds from below.</p><p>“Well, well,” Shikaku drawls, scars crinkling into a smile. “A pleasant surprise.” </p><p>Yoshino bluescreens.</p><p>“I—you—”</p><p>Her arms by his head, elbows pressed into the earth. Her legs straddling his hips. Faces moments apart.</p><p>Closer. Panting now.</p><p>Him. Her. </p><p>His eye lashes against her cheeks, closer, warmth pressed against her mouth, dry and split, the faint taste of iron underneath it all. And then they part, Shikaku smiling, Yoshino frozen. </p><p>His heart rumbles like a lion, content. And hers trembles like a leaf to a branch, struggling to stay put as the winds gust and roar around them.</p><p>
  <em>CRACK!</em>
</p><p>Shikaku’s head snaps to the side.</p><p>“Don’t you dare touch me without permission,” a red Yoshino orders, shaking the pain out of her hand.</p><p>“A-h.” Shikaku nods, licking his lips with satisfaction. Idly, he counts the stars floating above him, dangling from her brow. Ten, twenty, twenty-four. Too many to count. Dizzying.</p><p>“Can I kiss you again?” He inquires. Yoshino regards him for several seconds—to him, minutes. Hours.</p><p>She finally relents with a harsh ‘hmph’. </p><p>“It’s ‘May I.’” </p><p>He blinks. “Pardon?”</p><p>“‘May I kiss you?’ Not can. May.”</p><p>Shikaku nearly laughs. “Semantics.”</p><p>“Ask me properly!”</p><p>“Fine, fine,” Shikaku grumbles. chancing a touch to her back. Her muscles twitch underneath his fingers—skittish. Her dark eyes flick up at him, and away.</p><p>Just as skittish as his doe.</p><p>“You’re really troublesome,” he warmly says, laughing as she bristles. “May I kiss you anyways?”</p><p>Yoshino gives him a tiny nod. Shikaku leans forward.</p><p>Sweet.</p><p>Despite all her toughness, she tastes sweet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for taking the time to read!</p><p>Kudos and comments welcome &lt;3 please be gentle, as I'm a bit anxious about posting on AO3 lately.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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